In Others’ Words: Start Here

Oftentimes to embrace the future I’ve had to let go of something I’ve loved.

For years I thought of myself as a writer. Occasionally I would say to a friend, “I want to write.” But I was busy being a mom — and I love my kiddos. I was busy teaching women’s Bible studies — and I loved spending time with women and discovering God’s truths. Writing would happen … one day.

And then the desire became an undeniable have to in my heart. I couldn’t just talk about writing any longer. But I also knew to write, I had to give up teaching Bible studies — something I was passionate about, something I felt called to do. But there are only so many hours in the day, and I’m not one of those women who can juggle a gazillion things well. Sometimes I can’t juggle three things without dropping one of ’em.

It was time to write. And that meant it was time to stop teaching to make room for a long-postponed dream.

“… to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.”

Once I made the decision to listen to God’s whispered “Are you coming?” and to follow his leading from end to new beginning, I didn’t miss what I left behind (teaching) as I embraced what was ahead (writing). How gracious of God to replace one passion with another so that there was no looking back over my shoulder with longing or regret.

In Your Words: When has a new beginning required an ending for you? How were you able to make the transition?

With thanks to my friend, author Cathy West, for sharing this quote with me. Cathy is one of my favorite authors. If you haven’t read her novels Yesterday’s Tomorrow and Hidden in the Heart, I highly recommend them!

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9 Comments

Wow, this is a deep one…and a hard one for me, because the most vivid and salient situations in which this paradigm was operative…I can’t talk about.

In the less kinetic life, a lot of things I thought I’d have to give up sort of boomeranged back into my life. When I married, i thought I’d end up quitting building airplanes.

And until I got too sick to do it, I worked on them more than ever. Barbara still thinks it’s a weird way to pass the time, especially when a hacksaw slip nearly costs me a finger (but that’s why we have two of each, right?).

I did give up teaching, but largely because I’m simply not well enough. In person, I speak rather too slowly, and have to think too much between sentences, and sometimes words. Add to that about five minutes effective ‘talk time’ before II get too tired, and it becomes a non-starter.

I needed this today. Some of my church friends think I’ve turned away from God because I spend so much time writing. They don’t get that I feel like God is calling me to write. Many of them don’t get Christian fiction so they don’t think it’s a real calling. But my family has been amazing in their support.

Until I sense God telling me to stop, I’ll continue to write. Thanks so much for your post today!

Jackie:
I believe God uses our writing to draw us closer to Him, to make us dependent on Him … to conform us to His image. This whole writing gig? It’s never about turning away from God … well, I guess it could be … but not for me. And I seriously doubt it is for you — and it sure isn’t for so many other believers I know who pray over the words they put to paper.

May God bless the work of your hands, Jackie, to the praise and glory of His name.

Believe it or not, there was a time I turned away from my beloved suspense writing to work in the abstinence program with teens. But when God calls you to do something, he gives you peace and joy about doing it.

With the end of being mom full-time, I’ve embraced the new season only to discover quite the awkward transition. Three years and five grandchildren later, I’m still feeling middle school gangly, praying I don’t forget my locker combination. But I’m hopeful knowing the Lord is near, and trusting that what looks like lots of little bits of nothing are adding up to something eternal. And, thankfully, awkward doesn’t terrify like it did at thirteen. 🙂

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